No Need To Knock
by Aviarianna O Lorien
Summary: I'm sorry Jareth...but I am no longer willing to listen or care...good bye. Oneshot, complete.


No Need to Knock

A semi serious work of fiction by Aviarianna O' Lorien who does NOT own anything of Labyrinth other than the movie on DVD. Anything else you recognize, I do not own either.

**_Warnings_**: Mary Sue lacking two things, romance and a running of the labyrinth due to wishing herself or someone/something else away. If don't like them then don't bloody well read them, you have been warned.

Also…based upon true events that have yet to be resolved, therefore, what you are about to read is something that needs to happen. Scratch that…they will be resolved with the culmination of Jareth's very painful, drawn out, and torturous death. If you wish to know WHAT truly transpired, you'll have to ask me personally.

Avi…is to be quite frank, me. Her hair is dyed black but she has 3 inches of brown roots and is wearing a HIM concert T-shirt and a pair of baggy, black jeans with purple flip flops on her feet. She's plump, pale, her eyes are brown to most but orange to anyone who really looks and she is about 5"8, barely reaching Jareth's shoulder with the top of her head.

(((((((((((((((Now onto the story!))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

She sat. It was all she could will herself to do at the moment, just sit and stare at the computer screen in front of her. The television across the room behind the dulled orange fabric of the computer chair had moments ago been playing music videos but now it was off and the sounds of the soundtrack for the 2004 film production of Phantom Of The Opera was playing. The notes of the overture fading into Christine's first song of the musical, flowing into her but she only heard them these days, it seemed her days of feeling the music were long gone. No longer did it provide her with the emotion it once did, or the inspiration. It was merely something lovely to listen to while her memory pulsed through all her short yet long years of life, thinking back on times and people she wanted to forget, but could not let go of.

At the moment, she wished for the tears at the corners of her eyes to vanish, wanting nothing more than to forget it all and live in blissful ignorance of the truth of the world. Unfortunately, wishing in this world does not go very far. Wishes do not come true all that often, and when they do it is never a good thing for the wish is often fulfilled in the most negative of ways.

The face of a child, the body of a woman, the soul of an ancient, the eyes of a warrior, the stained hands of a killer and the heart of an angel were all encompassed in this person. Sitting there, staring at the open page of fan-fiction listings, she clicked upon a category and a list of titles became her hunting ground.

Stories upon stories upon stories that only ended up reminding her over and over again of what she wished to forget.

Suddenly a distraction of the utmost importance to tear her away from the writings of people, who wished they knew, thought they knew. Her three legged dog barking at something beyond the front door of the house, something that could not be seen out of the front windows. She hurriedly shushed the pooch and thrust open the door to find the most unexpected of things. Not a cat, not a raccoon or even a rare but possible skunk stood on the porch to get out of the rain, nor was any of the above munching the cat food set out upon the side porch.

The black gloved fist was raised and about to knock on the blue wood of the door when she thrust it open. The black cloak was thick, and hid everything but the arm attached to the hand that was about to knock, the hood pulled down so far that even his chin was in shadow but a few wisps of white-blonde hair managed to escape its confines. The arm was slowly lowered, and though the hood was still up, she knew already who it was.

"J-Jareth…?" She choked out, quite surprised by the sound of her own voice saying that name with such a timid edge.

"Hello Avaria." He replied quietly, allowing the hood to slip down and free his face and hair from its dark depths.

She visibly winced at the sound of that name.

It was a very uncomfortable and awkward silence that descended upon the pair for even the dog had gone quiet. Neither was sure of exactly what to do next as the rain poured and the wind all but howled.

"Won't you…uh…come in then?" She politely invited the Fae king into her house and stepped aside, allowing him to walk past her and into the kitchen where he took a seat at the mahogany table without a word, merely looking about as if he'd never seen the house before at all. In truth…he'd seen it plenty of times and she just didn't know it. "And please call me Avi; you know that's what everyone calls me now."

"Ah but Avaria is what you will always be to me my dear." He quirked a brow at her in that arrogant fashion of his, causing her to roll her eyes at him as she set a kettle on the stove and grabbed a box of her favorite black mountain tea from the cupboard. "Do you need any help with the tea?" He asked, perhaps only to be polite to the woman who could kick him out into the rain again, knowing that he'd have to be a bit farther away than her front yard to disappear in a twister of glittery sparks.

"No!" Avi chided, putting her hands up in a gesture meant to tell him to sit back down before reaching into the cabinet above the oven for the honey. "After the way you demolished your kitchen the last time you attempted to make tea, I do NOT think so Jareth."

"Fine, fine. It's not like I did that on purpose you know. I was just as devastated at the loss of half my kitchen as you were." He huffed, crossing his arms and legs haughtily while watching her flit about the kitchen to place a sugar dish, a dish of honey and a pitcher of milk on a tray while the kettle slowly began to steam, not screaming just yet.

"Hm…On second though Jareth, would you be a dear and get the teapot and cups out of the pantry for me?" She asked sweetly from the laundry room where the pantry was, the cupboards over the pantry were too high up for her to reach. She heard a sigh and could practically hear his eyes roll.

One ceramic teapot and two cups, hand painted by Avi herself with vines of colorful flowers floated down into the girls waiting hands. She smiled to herself before exiting the small room and placing the teapot and cups on the tray as well. "Thank you much!"

Another silence descended as the kettle screamed, causing both inhabitants to wince at the high pitch that was quelled far too slowly for either of them. Hot water and tea bags were added to the ceramic teapot, spoons to the sugar and honey dishes and the tray was then set upon the table top between king and young woman.

They sat.

There was one being seated at either head of the table position. There was a cup of tea held in her hands and in his being sipped gently. There was absolutely no sound save for the tea sliding down each throat and the clink of teacups being set upon respective saucers as the people who'd held them, now held each others gaze. The rain pounded down upon the windows but went unnoticed and all was silent in that home, a deafening silence.

"What did you come here for?" The silence was broken by her soft voice; it was a voice she reserved for speaking with people with whom she was unaware of where she stood.

"Would you believe that I just fancied a chat with my dear little Avaria?" Jareth replied, pretending to examine the hand painted cup but looking past it at her instead. It pained him that she would use that tone with him.

"Coincidently enough Jareth, no, I am afraid that I cannot believe that. You ignored me for so long that I hardly believe you just fancied a chat." Anger was evident, if only because of the edge in the otherwise soft and neutral tone.

"I…well I…" He began gently, as if he were at a loss for words.

"Did it for my own good? Save the self righteousness for someone stupid enough to believe it, Jareth. All you succeeded in doing was to send me into a depression so deep that I nearly ended my own life because of being stuck in this realm. I called out to you, I needed you and you ignored me every time." She crossed her arms over her chest, the pose more protective than defiant which Jareth noticed with shame. "You abandoned me and betrayed me Jareth, not to mention what you've done to someone I count as a sister that is beyond low, even for you. So please, tell me what you're here for so that you can get it and leave me alone like you have for the past several years." She glared at him, now silent but her eyes were begging him for an explanation to the years of inward torment.

"I…came to apologize?" He replied to her meekly.

"No, you didn't. You came to ME because SHE refuses to acknowledge your presence beyond calling you a right bloody bastard and pushing your out of her mind and residence and because you know that for the most part I am a very understanding being. You came to ME because no one else will even give you the time of day that could possibly help you with this situation. You came to me because you think I will forgive you and listen to you and help you."

"Now you know that's not-"

"Not true? Oh I dare say it is Jareth! I'm Avi remember? I'm the universal therapist, the world wide shoulder to cry one, the friend who is loyal for life. You are lucky I even let you into this house!"

"What?" Jareth was stunned.

"Jareth…finish your tea and just go." She suddenly grew quiet, her voice calm and un readable facing her tea cup instead of him.

"But Avi I-"

"Save it Jareth…at one point in time I was stupid enough to believe you meant it when you said I was family. I'm sure that when you told me your home and arms were always open to me you meant it too but now that's a void promise." She looked up at him, her eyes a shade of orange he'd never seen before on her and they begged him to answer her questions though she would never voice it. "At one point I believed you, believed in your promises and your words of comfort and then…you stopped. This is the first time you've directly talked to me in years Jareth and quite frankly…I'm no longer stupid enough, or willing to listen."

"Avi…" His voice was confused but pitying and her eyes flashed at him angrily for only a moment.

"I don't need your pity Highness, and I don't need to deal with anymore of your bull shit, anymore of your complications. My life is fucked up enough without having to deal with you and the repercussions of your actions that you seem unable to comprehend. I think it's time you left." She once more stared at the cup instead of him.

Jareth was, for quite frankly the second time that very night left speechless. He stood from the table slowly, his stance exuding the fact that he was at a loss as to what to say or do. It was new to him, this way Avi was acting…she was the most understanding person he knew and yet she was for once denying her services. He moved around the table and enveloped the girl in a hug, something he'd not done for years but she shoved him away roughly as she stood to put distance between them.

"No Jareth." She had tears in her eyes as she looked up at him, seeing the confusion on his face. "It's time you left." She pointed towards the front door, her voice trembling with the effort of not crying in front of him.

Jareth just stood there for a moment, staring at her and her outstretched arm. For now he was at a loss, and was indeed incredibly lost. Avi was the sole person he had to fall back on in this situation, or so he thought. Wide eyed and confused he let her lead him back to the door. He watched almost detached as she opened the front door and the screen door, gently giving him a push out onto the front porch.

"Goodbye Jareth." She spoke her final words to him and he somehow knew that if ever he heard her voice again it would be a very long time from now.

The door slammed in his face and he stood there for several moments more before looking down at his feet and walking off.

On the other side of the door, Avi had collapsed to her knees and broken down.

All she could do was cry.

(((((((((((Story Fin))))))))))))))))))

Based upon very real events…


End file.
